1881 G$1, DCAM PR(PCGS#97631)

1881 G$1, DCAM PR (PCGS#97631)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: A newcomer to the modern numismatic market, this glorious Gem Deep Cameo Proof specimen was last offered in our (Stack's) December 1973 sale of the Westchester Collection. It is an exceptionally well preserved example, both sides exhibiting vivid medium golden-yellow color on expertly preserved, virtually pristine surfaces. Bold cameo contrast is seen between frosty, fully impressed devices and nicely reflective fields. The Proof mintage of 87 pieces for the 1881 gold dollar is perhaps represented by 40 to 50 individual coins today, with some duplication likely within the modest numbers reported in the PCGS Population Report and NGC Census. Among those few that offer the deepest and greatest cameo contrast, as here, are some of the first pieces struck by the Proof dies. As more coins are struck, the degree of contrast and depth of frost on the devices tends to balance out, explaining the paucity of grading events in the Deep/Ultra Cameo category.The number of Proof gold coins produced in 1881 took a modest jump from the typical 20 to 40 pieces struck in the previous decade. Additional orders would be received from numismatists later in the 1880s, and by the time the gold dollar series ended in 1889 yearly Proof mintages had climbed into the 1,000+ coin range. The increased demand for these Proofs did not, however, result in the expected higher survival numbers based on the number of coins known today.